As the year draws to a close, we take a moment to reflect on an extraordinary journey of collaboration, growth, and impact. At Free Knowledge Africa, we believe that open access to knowledge is not just a principle—it’s a catalyst for transformation. Together, we’ve made significant steps in bridging information gaps, preserving cultural heritage, and advocating the power of shared knowledge.
This year, we celebrated many milestones. From addressing content gaps about Africa to launching groundbreaking projects and building global partnerships, every initiative has been a step toward a more open, inclusive, and informed world. Join us as we look back at the highlights of 2024 and prepare for an even more impactful 2025.
Year in Review: Key Highlights
Explore Nigeria 2024 Campaign
In January, our yearly ‘Explore Nigeria’ campaign tagged; Unveiling Nigeria: Explore, Contribute, Celebrate! addressed the underrepresentation of Nigerian destinations on platforms like Wikipedia and Wikivoyage. By collaborating with travel and tourism professionals and engaging new Wikimedians, we showcased Nigeria’s rich tourism potential, enhancing visibility for states, cities, and towns while positioning Wikivoyage as a reliable resource for exploring Nigeria.
AfroSports 2024 Contest
In March, we had our annual African sports and writing contest 2024. Yearly, this contest celebrates Africa’s vibrant sports heritage. Articles about historical and contemporary African sports, games, and recreational activities were created in English and five African languages: Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Swahili, and Kinyarwanda. About 3,000 articles were created across all 5 languages, this effort significantly enhanced the representation of Africa’s sports culture on Wikimedia platforms.
Shades of Africa
After months of writing and editing, we proudly published our first-ever book, Shades of Africa, a collection of captivating stories celebrating Africa’s diverse cultural festivals. Written by talented African writers, this book bridges the content gap in African culture and offers a unique window into the continent’s vibrant heritage.
Yoruba Cultural Heritage OER Project
The Yoruba Cultural Heritage OER Project delivers an engaging series of video episodes that highlight key aspects of Yoruba life, including language, food, music, festivals, and naming traditions. These videos, designed with both education and cultural preservation in mind, serve as a bridge connecting global audiences to the rich heritage of the Yoruba people in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. By leveraging the power of open licensing, these resources are freely available for adaptation and reuse, further amplifying their reach and impact. This initiative not only enriches cultural education but also fosters cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
2024 Public Domain Campaign
Our Public Domain Campaign emphasised the importance of accessible intellectual materials, advocating for a robust public domain to foster creativity and innovation. Events throughout the year highlighted the role of the public domain in preserving historical knowledge and driving global progress.
World Intellectual Property (IP) Day
As part of this campaign, we joined the global celebration of World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2024, in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS). The hybrid event which took place at the Premises of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of Lagos Premises, Akoka-Yaba Lagos was graced with individuals from far and near with speakers all over the globe including representatives from Free Knowledge Africa (FKA), National Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Nigeria Copyright Commision (NCC), Creative Commons Global Network(CCGN), amongst others.
The discussions explored how intellectual property could drive innovation, support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and harness the power of the public domain for collective progress.
Watch highlights from the event on our Youtube channel to relive the insightful discussions and key takeaways.
Public Domain and Historical Knowledge
On November 26, 2024, we advanced the conversation with a physical advocacy event themed ‘Public Domain and Historical Knowledge,’ held in collaboration with the FCT Branch of the National Library of Nigeria. Hosted at the National Library’s premises, the event brought together a diverse audience of librarians, legal practitioners, historians, researchers, students, and corps members.
This interactive session delved into the significance of the public domain in preserving Nigeria’s historical knowledge and making it openly accessible to all. We explored gaps in the documentation of Nigeria’s history and introduced the concept of Freedom of Panorama, addressing its limitations under Nigeria’s 2022 Copyright Act.
Relive the key moments and insights by watching the event highlights on our YouTube channel. Through these initiatives, we reinforced our commitment to bridging knowledge gaps, preserving heritage, and driving innovation by advocating for a more accessible and inclusive public domain.
Public Domain Website
In a major milestone, we launched PublicDomain.ng, a platform housing Nigerian public domain works marked with the CC0 license. This initiative ensures unrestricted use and adaptation of these works, fostering education, creativity, and innovation for all. Our vision is to create a robust platform where we can promote easy accessibility to works in the Public Domain in Nigeria.
Public Domain Digitization Project
This year, we focused on identifying, compiling, and digitizing public domain works in Nigeria. The project safeguards cultural treasures while ensuring they remain freely accessible for educational and creative purposes.
Collaborations:
Archivi.ng
History provides us with a lens to understand how past events have shaped the present. By reflecting on the lessons of history, we gain insights into our origins, learn from past mistakes, and pave the way for better decisions and brighter futures. Archivi.ng is on a mission to collect, scan, and digitally archive every newspaper ever published in Nigeria.
By preserving these invaluable records, they aim to make Nigerian history accessible to everyone, aligning perfectly with the principles of open knowledge. Through our partnership with Archivi.ng, we are working together to reclaim Nigeria’s lost history. By digitizing old Nigerian newspapers, we ensure that these stories, milestones, and moments are preserved and readily available for generations to come. This collaboration is not just about preserving the past, it’s about empowering the future with the knowledge of our shared heritage.
TAROCH Coalition
This year, we joined the TAROCH Coalition, a global initiative led by Creative Commons, to advocate for UNESCO’s development of international guidelines on open access to public domain heritage. This collaboration aligns with our mission to promote fairer access to heritage, address global challenges, and foster more connected and sustainable societies.
None of these achievements would have been possible without the unwavering support of our community, partners, and contributors. Your dedication, creativity, and collaboration have been the cornerstone of our success. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been part of this journey.
Looking Ahead: 2025 and Beyond
As we step into 2025, we remain steadfast in our commitment to bridging information gaps, preserving African heritage, and championing open knowledge. Our focus will include expanding the reach of our initiatives, creating more opportunities for collaboration, and exploring new ways to harness technology for greater impact. With your support, we will continue to break barriers, create opportunities, and inspire innovation across the continent and beyond.Our journey toward open knowledge thrives because of people like you.
As we look ahead to 2025, your support whether through time, expertise, resources or spreading the word can make all the difference. Together, let’s bridge more gaps, preserve our heritage, and make knowledge accessible to all.You can be part of this movement by Volunteering with us or making a donation to support our initiatives. Every effort counts, and with your help, we can create a meaningful change.
As we celebrate the holiday season, we extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May your Christmas be filled with joy, love, and togetherness, and may the New Year bring fresh opportunities, fulfilment, and success.
Thank you for being part of our journey in 2024—we look forward to achieving even greater milestones with you in 2025.
